Our Correspondent
Kohima | August 15
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today said that the state government has an open-door policy to resolve the ENPO issue.
“My Government is committed to the all-round development of our state. The Region of our state requires more handholding than the other parts. This is important to bridge both physical and human capital gaps that exist,” Rio said in his address at the 78th Independence Day celebration in Kohima.
“My Government is confident that our shared history and culture, our feelings of brotherhood and above all our commitment to equitable development of our state will guide us to the path of progress and prosperity,” Rio said.
The Chief Minister said that Nagaland made history when it conducted the Urban Local Body Elections with reservation for women for the very first time.
“We brought together all sections of society, brought in new laws and rules, strengthened the State Election Commission and in the end more than succeeded in our task,” Rio stated.
From having no women members in the elected town and municipal councils, now we have 37% women representation, greater than the 33% mandated by the law, Rio maintained.
If we are united, there is nothing we cannot achieve as a state. We hope to carry forward this spirit and work together to overcome all obstacles, the Chief Minister said.
‘Committed to early solution of Naga Political issue’
Rio also said that the government is committed to the early solution of the Naga Political issue.
“The continuity, in the dispensation at the Centre will I hope, prove beneficial to the early resolution,” the Chief Minister said, adding that the government is making every possible effort in this direction.
He said that the Political Affairs Committee, constituted with the entire Cabinet and elected members from those tribes who are not in the Cabinet, has already held its first meeting.
Through the forum of Political Consultative Committees joint consultations will be held with the Civil Society Organisations, Tribal Hohos, to discuss on the basis of the already signed Framework Agreement on 3 August 2015 and the Agreed Position on 17 November 2017, he stated.
We will continue to engage with all stakeholders to help reach an early solution, Rio added.
‘Peace in Nagaland state has been won’
The CM meanwhile claimed that peace in Nagaland state has been won with dint of hard work and determination.
“Our district administration and police have worked tirelessly to ensure that peace is maintained in the state,” he said, adding “This is a work in progress.”
The good work of the district administration and police ensured that elections to the Lok Sabha and the Urban Local Body elections were concluded peacefully.
To effectively deal with crime and the criminals and to modernize the police force, the state government has taken steps to improve forensic capabilities. Nagaland Police has commissioned a Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) instrument at Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and acquired a state-of-the-art 4k Spectral camera that can capture fingerprints even on porous surfaces.
Stating that narcotics are the scourge of the youth, Rio said “Continuing the fight against drug menace, Nagaland Police has seized drugs worth approximately Rs 142 Crores and also arrested a drug kingpin of the North East.”
“As a state and as a Nation we have covered a lot of ground. However, there is a long way to go before we reach the goal of a developed Nagaland by 2047 that will contribute to make our country Viksit Bharat as well,” Rio added.
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